The present invention is directed to a fiber optic component cleaning device. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a fiber optic component cleaning device that is configured for thoroughly cleaning a wide variety of fiber optic connectors.
Fiber optic transmission rates have increased from one gigabyte per second to a contemporary standard of ten gigabytes per second. Several networks predict transmission rates will reach forty gigabytes per second in the near future. Researchers are working to achieve transmission rates on the order of petabytes and terabytes per second.
In order to achieve, maintain, and even surpass these transmission rates, the transmission media (e.g., fiber optic conductors), must be fabricated and maintained to exacting standards and tolerances. During fabrication and manufacturing, and installation and testing, fiber optic component end faces frequently become contaminated with dirt, dust, oil, grease, and other debris. Cleaning the end faces preserves the accuracy of these very high-speed transmissions. In addition, the end faces of the conductors must be free of scratches, burrs, and the like to maintain the standards necessary for these high transmission rates. Moreover, soils and improper cleaning can also damage end face polish.
Various types of fiber optic connectors are known. Some of these connectors permit the joining of single optical fibers. Other types of connectors more efficiently permit the joining or connecting of multiple fibers in a single physical connector body. The various types of connectors as such have differing physical structures, connector configurations, components and the like. This can require that maintenance personnel and installers carry with them multiple types of cleaning devices.
Moreover, the various parts of the connectors, including the ferrule and chamfer also require cleaning so as to not contaminate the end face and other connector portions.
Because of the differing structures, the requirements and tools for cleaning the connector also vary. Known cleaning devices are those disclosed in Forrest, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,216,760 and 6,865,770, and U.S. Published patent application Publication No. 2006/0107479 all of which are commonly assigned with the present invention and are incorporated herein by reference. While these all work well for general and in some cases, specific applications, there is still a lack of ability for a single cleaning device to be used to efficiently clean a wide variety of known (and yet to be designed) connectors.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a fiber optic cleaning device that can be used to effectively clean a wide variety of connector types having different structures and requirements. Desirably, such a cleaning device leaves no residue on a connector, and cleans all of the portions of the connector including the end face, ferrule, chamfer and other parts of such a connector.